Swords and Stones
by struckbylight
Summary: After Glimmer saves Cato's life in the bloodbath, the two begin to feel a growing admiration for each other, coupled unfortunately with their bloodthirsty desire to win the games and Cato's attachment to his district partner, Clove.
1. Chapter 1

Sixty seconds. Sixty seconds were all that remained to begin the battle, the journey from "Pretty Career Girl" to pride of her district. Glimmer swallowed, her throat feeling drier than she wished it did.

She surveyed the surrounding tributes; her chin perched upward, gaging the first kill. The cornucopia glistened desirably in between them all, temping, luring. She saw instantly the silver bow and arrow delicately balanced between some swords. In the seconds it took her to locate the weapon, she claimed it as her own.

Each breath seemed drawn out, each moment spent on the metal disc feeling like it would be her last. Though it wouldn't be. It _couldn't_ be. Failure wasn't an option.

Glimmer's blue eyes squinted against the sun as she rounded on each district's hopeless cause; the girl from six, the boy from eight. She tried to think back to the now blurred memories of the advice her mentor had given; though her mind was soaked in adrenaline and any last words of wisdom were being over shadowed by her desire to pound forward, to kill or be killed; fight-or-flight a surging force beneath her veins.

She caught sight of Marvel, his knuckles clenched, his eyes set hungrily on a spear before them. They'd meet at the cornucopia then, she concluded, and part of her hoped they wouldn't have to say goodbye there. Because if there was one person who was going to offer a sliver of compassion in the arena towards her, it would be him.

She bit her tongue, trying to edge away from that. Marvel was still competition, he was still prey. But at least for now, maybe he didn't have to be.

Ten seconds. Ten seconds remained.

Her feet etched towards the edge of her disc, her arms outstretched, showing everyone who was going to make it there first. Who was going to be victor.

Five. Four. Three. Two. One.

She pounded off like a bullet, racing, speeding towards the bow and arrow. The cornucopia came into sight quickly, its metallic surface reflecting the sun cruelly in her eyes. She blinked it away furiously, desperate not to be taken off target, knowing the fate that awaited carelessness.

She noted a boy, whose name nor district she could remember, making his way clumsily to her weapon. She snarled. His first mistake would be his last.

The smouldering silver of the bow met her long fingers swiftly, and she unsheathed an arrow, wielding it in her free hand and stabbing the boy with deadly precision in the heart. She smirked and pulled the spear out swiftly, scanning the entirety of the blood bath with the precious time she had.

She couldn't see Marvel, though instinct told her he was still alive, probably already fled to safety. It took her seconds to decide what to do, not wanting to remain in the vulnerable clutches of the open space; she darted forwards, toward the forest.

Flashes of green and red clouded her vision as the weaker tributes fought it out amongst themselves. Her feet motored forward; dodging the clumsy strikes of others armed with rocks and sharpened wood, items that were clearly obtained further out from the bounty of the cornucopia itself.

She stopped, however, when she noted the boy from two, hovering over another nameless tribute. He ploughed a sword into her with one strike, Glimmer couldn't help but admire. Her eyes were adverted, though, as she noticed the girl from seven make her way behind Two's back.

Two struggled to obtain his weapon from his kill, the metal lodged in the girl's stomach.

_He's not going to see her; she's going to kill him before he can get the sword out._

Without analysing her tactics, Glimmer raised the bow and fired an arrow towards Seven. Her aim was shaky but the arrow cleared a clean hit and the girl went down, the arrow puncturing her stomach.

Two turned instantly when he heard the girl drop, his sword sheathed, his expression paralysed; eyes widened, mouth ajar. Glimmer herself was staggered by her actions, she had had no intention of ever consciously saving someone in the arena; not even Marvel.

Despite the momentary daze, the bloodbath's rage fired on and Glimmer saw no time to explain anything at present, she simply hoped, prayed, that she had formed an alliance with the boy- that he wouldn't kill her where she stood. It took her a heartbeat to notice he had made no move to kill her so she willed her feet to continue running and sped into the forest, checking to see if the boy had followed.

It was only when Glimmer was completely concealed by the comforting shelter of the hanging vines and disorienting leaves that she felt a somewhat calm. She was started, however, when she felt Two pound next to her, panting as he clutched his sword for protection.

She surveyed the situation. Through her own pants and heaves for breath, she wanted to seem intimidating, fierce. When Two didn't lower his sword, Glimmer saw it as her only chance to stop herself getting sliced to death, because the boy clearly wasn't fond of waiting long before making a decision.

"Glimmer." She stated, looking the boy up and down.

The boy's panting seemed to slow down quickly, a clear indicator of his athleticism, and he slowly put away the weapon. It took him a moment to realise she was saying her name and he raised his eyebrows, nodding slowly.

"Cato." Cato felt on edge, there was coldness to the girl's presence; he understood just how deadly a career could be; because after all, he was one himself. Glimmer hadn't put her bow down from where she had taken it out to arm herself against his sword. He waited, in a state of some suspense, as the girl decided whether or not to kill him.

"You're not going to fire that thing, are you?" He asked, sceptical. "You did just save me."

Glimmer's expression was icy, her plump lips pouted, her head cocked to the side.

"Assumptions like that might get you killed." She purred, a flash of smugness in her eyes. Cato's face stiffened, and in the moment the girl took to flick her hair over her shoulder, his sword reappeared and found its way to her neck- pushing her stiffly against a tree.

"So might arrogance." He smirked.

Glimmer gulped, feeling the strain of the sharp metal pressing on her tender flesh. One movement. One movement and this whole game was over. She'd made the mistake and she'd pay for it before she's even had the chance to start fighting. All hostility vanished from Glimmer's eyes and they were hurriedly pleading. She didn't want to beg for mercy in her helpless state, like someone from an outer district might, she wanted to die with dignity - as much dignity as you could die with, considering you were just another part of a degrading and oppressive system.

Glimmer batted her long eyelashes, her glass blue eyes _glimmering_ in the light. Cato raised an eye brow, surveying the options in his situation. If nothing else mattered, this girl did just save his life. His smile softened, from murderous to ironic with frightening ease. Cato refused to admit it, but he liked the attitude of the girl. It reminded him of himself. His sword dropped and with its decent to the ground Glimmer felt herself exhale the entirety of the oxygen in her body, relief flooding through her like a tempest.

She tried not to show the fear that so obviously emanated from the position of vulnerability and waited for Cato to speak again, still wary.

"I won't need your help anymore." He stated, taking a step back from Glimmer, giving her space to run if she so wished. He despised the idea of being in debt to the girl, and that was noble enough, he concluded, that he had not killed her. Yet.

"Who said you would?" Glimmer bit back, the poison trickling through her words, despite the callousness of her associate and what had just been her paralysis with fear. Cato watched her carefully, the smile gone from his face as he tried to deduce the girl's motives. He swallowed dryly and suddenly it struck him that he needed to make his way back to the cornucopia; if not to obtain water and supplies, then to finish off the survivors.

"We're wasting time." He murmured, charging forward and knocking the girl back. She was stunned for a moment, her head hitting the hard bark of a tree behind her, before regaining her footing. There was the opening, her head screamed.

_Run_.

_Find high ground, water. Go. Run._

Though the temptation of the cornucopia was pulling her, dragging her like a drunkard to alcohol, away from the safety of the concealed forest. Also, there was the small matter of Cato's words.

Against her better judgement, which she made a note of needing to stop ignoring, she swivelled on the soles of her boots and dashed daintily in the path Cato was thrashing through, cutting the bush with his sword.

When she had caught up to his side, as close as she could manage without becoming skewered, she huffed her words through the pants of the jungle running. "_We're_?"

It was imperceptible to Glimmer from where she jogged behind, but the smile returned to Cato's face; bloodthirsty and hungry. "_We're_ an alliance now, right?"

Glimmer felt the smile trickle onto her own face and she squinted her eyes in approval. He was a powerful ally, she'd give him that. _He won't need my help, but he still wants it_. Glimmer felt a tide of self-satisfaction. She liked how things were going.

"Right." She affirmed, her tone trickling dark and playful, dangerous through its misleading nature. She meant it though. They were allies now. Cato was growing on her. And with that the two burst back out of the forest and into the dazzling sun, baking the cornucopia and the tributes still fighting for their lives.


	2. Chapter 2

Glimmer's eyes flickered manically, catching a glimpse of every acre, every metre, every inch of the expanse before her- like a cat watching flies; ready for the pounce. She fingered the arrows in their quiver, trailing lustfully over their hard, deadly metal.

Her searching gaze landed beside her, to where Cato revealed similar ideas. The bloodbath had all but come to an end, as far as they were concerned. Recognizable faces were no more, and if you were distinguishable amongst twenty four other teenagers then you were something of a competition. So they were either dead, eliminated already, or they had taken their leave- in that case they posed no threat to the cornucopia's bounty.

The wretched "Girl on Fire", the fox-faced red head from five, Cato's district partner, and Marvel. They were not in plain sight, so one could only assume. No one would want to stick around here for long. Glimmer found herself chuckling slightly at the thought, _no one but us_.

Glimmer hopped into the air and jetted into the mess of tributes, scavenging, staggering. She didn't take the risk of stopping to fire her arrow, not trusting her aim and fearing being taken from behind. If it wasn't for Cato's guard as she ran, she may have felt the same anxiety as when she first pounded from her metal disk.

It took the duo moments to reach the cornucopia, which still hosted clearance to tributes. _Why haven't you run away yet? You know you'll never win this way._ Glimmer raised her bow, closing one eye to line her shot up, when a hand on her shoulder span her around; fear pulsing through her veins like electric, the adrenaline from the situation putting her at edge.

Part of her expected to see Cato, who had escaped her vision when he ran to retrieve a silver backpack, and part of her apprehended a dark horse, an adversary she'd forgotten to mark during the days in the training centre; someone who would now be strikingly obvious competition like the boy from eleven, or even lover-boy from twelve.

Instead, her apprehension was met by the firm grasp of Marvel.

She gasped, fright apparent in her features, and instinctively she raised the bow to his neck. "I would have killed you, idiot!" She spat, snarling at the boy's huffed laughter. "I thought you'd run into the forest!" She tried, unsuccessfully, to make Marvel feel guilty for the confliction he caused her.

"And miss all the fun?"

Glimmer assumed with the spear Marvel plunged into the tribute Glimmer had been marking they were now a team, an unspoken truce from district bondage, from career status. The two watched as the rest of the teenagers surrounding the perimeter scattered like rats, and fled from the threat, making off with dainty pieces of plastic to protect from rain water and pocket knives only good for carving wood. They were too afraid to try for anything better, and the thought pleased Glimmer more than she wanted to let on to. Because that meant she was winning. The games had only just begun, but she was winning. She had to be.

Marvel outstretched his hand, shielding his eyes from the glare off of the cornucopia with the other, and pointed to each corpse on the blood-stained grass before them, morbidly declaring the death toll "One… two… three…" He went on to nine. Nine dead. Glimmer nodded her head in approval.

"I took down two of them." She added proudly, holding her head up in achievement. Marvel smiled, about to congratulate, when he noticed the boy from Two hurtling towards them.

"I think you better make that three, unless you want me to deal with him." Marvel's upturned lips fell and he wielded his spear, preparing for the duel. Glimmer's eyes widened as realisation dawned upon her.

"No!" She shouted, throwing herself onto Marvel and knocking him down from Cato's path.

"Are you crazy!"

"He's with me! He's okay!" Glimmer breathed, relieved by the quickness of her actions, and the agility in her lunge. Marvel rubbed the back of his head from where it had made contact with the solid grass. He peered up at the monstrous career tribute, towering above them both. Marvel didn't like it.

Cato held out his hand for Glimmer and elevated her from the grass, allowing Marvel to cater for himself. _You need to stop saving my life_. Cato felt the words behind his lips, resting there, wanting to come out; though unable to pass the barrier of his pride. He simply held Glimmer's gaze for a moment, before nodding his head, a neutral gesture of respect.

Her lips pursed into a thin line, and she returned the expression.

Cutting in, Marvel raised himself up to face the boy from Two. "Marvel." He said flatly, challenging as he held his spear in close range. Cato felt an odd sense of similarity in the situation. He didn't lower his sword.

"Cato." He countered, and held his distance, unsure whether or not the boy still wanted to kill him. The Games were not rounds of chance; they were rounds of judgement and ability. That was how Cato was taught it, and it was how he would play.

"Shall we see what they left us?" Marvel asked after a momentary silence, noticing a hoard of goods in front of them.

"You mean what we _earned_." Glimmer shimmied forward, her smile reflected on Cato's face; he felt an admiration growing for the girl, they were incredibly similar. He jogged to her side, leaving Marvel behind them so as to move out of ear shot.

Glimmer noted what he wanted to know. "He's my district partner." She defended, not wanting any harm or distrust to come from ignorance. Though it wasn't the best footing to start off on; intent of murder. She felt an air of unease emanating from the two. Turning to include Marvel in the conversation, she said "And now we're all _the career pack_."

As if her words were some kind of summoning ritual, a petite figure pounced before them, her throwing knives hurtling into vision before her small frame. Glimmer let out a small gasp of surprise, watching the brunette girl retrieve the weapons from her kill.

She gulped, though immediately wished she hadn't. The girl turned to her, eyes fired from blood spill, and appeared to target her.

"Clove!" Cato called out, snapping the girl's attention. The sound of her name, or perhaps the sight of Cato, dwindled the inferno behind her gaze, and grudgingly the girl lowered her knives. Glimmer's head cocked to the side, an unfamiliar feeling causing her skin to crawl.

She refused to feel intimidated by the girl so quickly, trying rather to see her for new competition. But she was strong competition. And Glimmer's stomach twisted at the thought of appearing weaker, something she had never feared in the eyes of another girl before. Suddenly she understood completely how Cato and Marvel had just felt.

She perched her neck upwards, her downturned lips assessing the girl. Clove mimicked the expression before opening her mouth to speak ."No." was all that left her mouth.

Before Glimmer has registered a need to reply, Cato had stepped forward. "They're from One, Clove." He waited, squinting at the girl, before creeping forward an inch, putting a barricade between her and Glimmer.

"They're our allies-"

"No."

Cato licked his lips, a miniscule smile threatening to break through. "For now." His words echoed out slowly, lingering, painting the picture of the teenagers fate as clear as charcoal on white paper. Glimmer made an effort to remember what he had said. _They were allies. And alliances do not last. And they certainly do not infer friendship._

Marvel took it upon himself to defend the honour of his side. "I'm not too keen on you right now either, if I'm honest." Again, his spear rose and it took every inch of Glimmer's effort not let out an exasperated sigh; the boys were like wild wolves, the scent of threat was it all it took before their physical prowess rallied them into defence.

Clove, apparently for the first time, acknowledged Marvel's presence, her eyes landing on his spear. "Oh really? Well you still won't like me much then, when my knife is making its sure way to your heart."

Marvel swallowed, taken aback by the enormous words coming from such a petite figure. Although she wasn't petite. Not at all. Now that her ferocity was clearly understood, Glimmer and Marvel noticed the girl's build. Yes, she was small, but she was muscular. Her shoulders were broad from years of training, her arms defined by practise in throwing knives. There was no denying her formidability.

Disregarding this however, Marvel pounded forward, lunging for Clove. Predicting the unruly behaviour of her district partner, Glimmer followed him, snapping her fingers around his wrist and tugging him backwards. "What the hell is wrong with you!" She scolded. Marvel snarled and shook her off.

Clove didn't flinch, her stoic composure leading to a momentary silence in the group.

Glimmer's mind raced, looking for something to say to the girl. She had never been particularly skilled with words, she assumed none of them were, all being hot-headed and brash, so her mind drew blank on how to negotiate. Instead, she found her vision distracted by movement in the insides of the cornucopia, behind where Clove stood. Her eyes trailing inquisitively and found Cato, who followed the line of sight.

A grin, sickening to who it was aimed at, though promising to his company, flashed across his face. He pushed past Clove, who naturally protested, unsure of what Cato was doing, and strode toward the discarded metal casings of weapon containers.

From where Glimmer stood she only saw Cato's face brighten in macabre satisfaction, and the boy from Four's horrified look of pleading, as Cato revealed his hiding place and struck his sword into the boy's heart.

Clove's head whipped around to face Glimmer, the diameter of her eyes widened. Glimmer responded silently, meeting the girl's gaze with ease, appreciating the momentary upper hand.

When Cato returned to the group, he dropped a backpack on the floor.

"He was trying to make off with some of our things, so it would seem." Clove stared at the tins of food that rolled out before her feet. It was sad, Glimmer thought, that that was how little a life could be lost for here.

Slowly, and it most certainly was _slowly_, Clove walked forward. Glimmer braced herself, half expecting some wild attack, but was greeted instead by a respectful nod, and grunt of approval. "Good. Fine. An alliance. You're useful, I suppose."

Glimmer nodded back, her smile betraying her, glad her camaraderie with Cato had not been forced to its end just yet. Clove turned from the group, ploughing her way through the glut of their new found supplies, the bounty of their imminent survival.

Before she could, Marvel stopped Glimmer from advancing with her, his hand clasping her wrist as the two so often did to hold the other back. "You don't have to seem so happy about this." He murmured, leaning close to Glimmer so his furious whisper for only audible to her.

She wrinkled her nose at him "What?" She hissed, quickening her pace away from him. "I can't be glad we're the strongest alliance in the arena? We might be Careers but it doesn't hurt to be in this situation."

He jogged to her side, still scrutinizing. "No, that's fine. It just seems like you're getting a little too comfortable in this guy's-" his head nodded to Cato "-company."

Glimmer swallowed, her eyes resting on Cato for a moment. "Shut up."

"I think you'd do well to remember this is a game _where we kill people to survive_, Glimmer."

"I said _shut up_!" The words came out like poison as she swivelled, viperous and angry. "We're just an alliance, Marvel, what is your problem? I haven't said anything else to infer I have other intentions, so be quiet!" She stormed away, jogging to the insides of the cornucopia and rustling through packs, keeping herself from drawing attention to her anger.

In her pent up annoyance with Marvel she failed to notice Cato, who had joined her where she stood. "Don't look now but we're about to take down another idiot." She jumped at the sound of his voice, and began to scan the perimeter, searching for who he was describing.

Sure enough, Lover Boy from twelve was staggering towards them. "Well Hell. It's like they want us to kill them." She extracted an arrow carefully, closing one eye and lining up the shot. Maybe she could hit this kid before Clove or Marvel noticed, after all, she still had something to prove to both of them. She still had to show she was deadly. She couldn't let up on any opportunity.

"No! Wait!" The scream was barely audible from where Cato and Glimmer were perched that Glimmer was unsure if she had heard anything. She refocused, and lined the shot again. Licking her lips, she let the arrow sail forward.

She winced as it missed, landing a clear ten feet from her target. Cato raised an eyebrow at her. She furrowed her brow, pulling up another arrow.

"Hold on a second…" Cato pressed his hand against Glimmers and she froze, watching him as he squinted at the boy. He was running towards them, apparently unarmed. It was so peculiar that the two didn't know how to react.

When he was close enough for them to hear him, the two immediately became murderous once again. Cato treaded forward to the panting boy, sneering as he heaved for air. "Well that was stupid."

"No… wait." The boy repeated through his heavy breathing.

"Are those going to be your last words, or do you want time to come up with something more creative?" Glimmer joined Cato, finding confidence in her aim at close range and pulling up her bow to aim at the boy's head.

"Well you could kill me-" The boy's posture composed as he retained his normal breathing pattern. Glimmer interjected before he could finish.

"Yes, we could kill you."

"-_Or_, or I could join your alliance."

Cato was the first to laugh, the sound thunderous, hostile. It attracted the attention of Clove and Marvel who hurriedly came to see the new addition to the group. With his new found audience, Cato stepped up to perform.

He unsheathed his sword, kicking Twelve to the ground and pinning him there with the already bloody point. "_And why would we do that_?" He asked, mocking, earning a few snickers from his crowd.

Frightened, and clearly failing in his pre-arranged though flawed plan, the boy from Twelve struggled under the strain of the blade. "Because- because I can help you find Katniss."

More laughter. Cato pushed his sword down with more pressure.

"Oh? The 'one you came here with'? The 'love of your life' Katniss?" Glimmer pouted her lips, her tone mimicking Cato's. There was no denying the pleasure of kill like this. "Finish him, Cato."

About to oblige to the girl's commands, Twelve shouted out again.

"Wait! It was a lie! I made it up for the Capitol. Trust me you _need_ me to find her. I-I know where she'll be, I…" he trailed off.

Cato paused, turning to Glimmer and then Clove. The group were silent.

Pulling up his sword, Cato shut his foot down on the boy's chest, causing him to yelp in pain. He drew his weapon back and let the boy get up. "We don't _need_ anybody. But you can stay with us for now, Lover Boy."

"But Cato-" He heard Clove begin to protest, and shot her his definitive look of command.

"When we find Katniss, _I_ kill her, okay?" The group eyed him cautiously, unsure of what he was thinking.

"Cato, just kill him now, we can find Katpiss on our own." Clove, enraged by the decision, began to take out her knives and advance on Twelve.

He stuck out his arm to stop her. "No, Clove. This will work, for now."

There were those words again, Glimmer noted. '_For now_'. She sighed, deciding to speak up.

"I agree with Cato." All heads turned to her. "What's the harm? Strength in numbers, right?"

Clove shook her head, disagreeing simply because of her distaste for the other girl, and turned her vicious gaze on Cato. The two regarded each other for a long moment, before Clove finally sighed, vexed by the new company. It was clear, however, that she respected Cato's orders.

_And maybe it would be useful to remember that_, Glimmer found herself thinking. She chewed her bottom lip. _Maybe_.

Shaking the thought from her mind, she resurfaced to face the group. She looked at Twelve, raising her head. She flicked a blonde plait behind her back and flashed a wicked smile, convincing herself of her own intimidation.

"Peeta." He coughed, winded from the blow to his chest, as he outstretched his hand to shake hers. Her eyes flickered down to where it trembled and she didn't take it.

"I wouldn't make us regret this, Peeta." She warned, in the vile tone she hoped exuded venom, her black widow persona an attempt to frighten the boy.

She swayed to Cato's side, residing in the confidence of overpowering Peeta in order to ignore what Clove might say. "_Whe_n we find Katniss, I'll fight you for her." She giggled, and Cato liked the sound. He smiled back at her.

"We'll see about that." Clove chimed in, appreciating the idea of killing the girl they had all come to detest. She twirled a knife in her hand, the group failing to notice Peeta's look of apprehension as they pondered on their prey. Glimmer raised an eyebrow at the girl, concurring with her ideas. She looked to Marvel also, who, for the first time, seemed pleased with their very secure upper hand.

She licked her lips, grinning at the group. "And I suppose that makes the Career pack."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N- Finally! I'm sorry I've been painfully slow with uploading this chapter! Exams, unfortunately, restricted me from writing, but huzzah! They finished! I would just like to say a really huge thank you to the lovely, lovely reviews you guys have given me. Honestly, anything you guys say means an incredible amount to me, and I just wanted to let you all know how grateful I am for my readers and all the positive feedback. I'll try not to make this A/N too long so, thank you guys for being patient and here's the next chapter. Enjoy!**

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Naturally, survival of the fittest entailed every aspect of being _fit_. The Careers were physically adept, even more so with their weaponry skills, but one thing they prided themselves on beyond that was their instinct. Survival instinct.

It made picking off the weak that much easier. Because where there were smart, abled tributes, there were weak, stupid tributes to falter before them.

The Career pack exulted in their first night in Arena.

They had chased a duo of girls, laughing, jibing, until one fell and presumably broke a leg. They had lost them in the night's darkness, but nevertheless the taunting had given them something to feed off of. Like a cat with her prey: the entertainment was prized, the kill a necessity to the game.

Glimmer had spotted a trail of smoke, illuminated by the glow of a measly fire from a hundred yards away. Running, nimble and quite, suppressing their laughter in pursuit of fresh kill, the Career pack made their way to the source of the smoke.

At the sight of the frizzy blonde, huddled over her fire for warmth, feeble, pathetic, the Careers flashed their murderous glances in her direction. Cato unsheathed his sword. For a moment, he regarded it, and the others expected him to make the swift movement forward and finish off the petrified tribute. But instead, he grinned at the blade and passed it towards Glimmer.

She didn't miss a beat before taking it, her breath catching for a moment as Cato glanced at her. Her eyes fixed to him, a small smile tugging at her lips, not expecting him to pass the task of slaughter to her. It was a morbid thing to be grateful for, even more so to be flattered by, but Glimmer couldn't supress her admiring gaze towards Cato as he turned back to watch the small tribute girl cowering in front of her fire, Clove and Marvel both awaiting her annihilation eagerly.

Glimmer grasped the heavy metal in her hands, and stepped forward. The others chuckled lightly behind her, crossing their arms, already amused by the tribute's expression of terror. Glimmer wasted no time in her taunting; she was lithe and quick and with one movement darted to the tribute girl, impaling her in the stomach with the sword. The Career pack listened with satisfaction as the girl let out a plea for help and then an ear splitting scream, and looked to Glimmer, the last person she would see. Glimmer made out the glisten of tears in her horror filled eyes; fear and disgust and distress painting every inch of her features. And then Glimmer pulled out the bloodied sword and the girl hunched over, dead.

She paused for a moment, the image of the girl's terrified face prominent in her mind, before lifting her sword up and turning to her Career pack. They cheered before chortling, already beginning their string of mockery for their latest victim, the bloodthirsty looks in each of the others eyes still burning.

The canon's boom signalled their success.

The four of them ran forward, away from the scene, ready for the body to be collected and to find shelter for the night. Almost forgetting the fifth member of their alliance, the Career pack turned back around in unison to face Peeta, who straggled behind.

"You better not slow us down, lover boy." Clove remarked, sneering as he stumbled over a tree root and tripped forward towards them. Cato squinted in the darkness at the blonde, and walked to his side.

"She's right, I don't see you _contributing_." His hand trailed down to his sword, a motion that was becoming habitual as much as it was becoming Cato's most threatening gesture. Peeta staggered backwards, and held his hands up in protest.

"Wait, wait. While you guys, uh, while you dealing with that girl back there- I saw Katniss go this way, I swear." Peeta pointed forward desperately, praying he could muster some conviction to his words.

The Career pack regarded each other, sceptical, though still hungry for another chase. They wordlessly concluded to follow Peeta's directions, seeing nothing to lose. Peeta breathed a sigh of relief at their cooperation, tense in their presence, before following after them once again.

After their confrontation with, who they considered, the weakest member of their alliance, the Career pack began moving forward again, chasing their next victim and continuing laugh about the last.

"Wait, did you see the look on her face?" Cato's voice boomed through the forest, unafraid, calling out to Clove and Marvel who lead the path on the forest dirt track, the terrain was rough and overgrown; making it hard for the Careers to walk huddled together. Cato spoke over their remarks and guffawing, his own voice laced with laughter. Clove and Marvel smiled, chortling again for Cato to hear their amusement.

Glimmer paused for only a heartbeat as she pictured what Cato was describing. She _did_ see the look on the girl's face. It had been contorted with pure fear, the nightmare of such a cruel fate; killed too young by others just as scared and as clueless as you are. Glimmer smiled to herself and swallowed coolly. It was a good thing she wasn't frightened of death, then. It was hard to be when you knew you had the upper hand, it was also a good thing that such an image, an image that could so easily become a mirror to her if she were to falter at any point, did not affect her in any way. At least, she wouldn't let it.

Glimmer span around in her boots, and hunched forward, giggling, her voice high and mocking as she imitated the girl she had killed "_Oh no, please don't kill me!_" Glimmer beamed up at Cato, who towered above her even more so as she crouched, continuing mimic the girl. Cato delighted in her joking and ceased walking, holding a branch out of his face as he ducked under a tree.

"That's actually a pretty good impression." He said, leaning into the girl below him, and Glimmer burst into another round of giggles. He chuckled back, savouring the moment; the feeling of victory and power and dominance. Glimmer and he could make fun of the girl, because she was _their_ kill. The gamblers and bet makers back in the Capitol would have put money on them. But more than that, there was a pleasure in sharing his enjoyment with the girl next to him. She'd already proven herself strong and willing, if not cutthroat in her approach to the games, and it was nice. The competition was nice, the feeling of unease in her presence as well as the total sense of security. For once in his life Cato was unsure. And oddly, he took pleasure in it.

Cato turned back to face Peeta, who had just caught up, his patience thinning. "Hey, lover boy, you sure she went this way?" Cato pointed forward, the merriness in his voice all but gone for the presence of the boy.

"Yeah, I'm sure."

"You better be."

Cato watched as Peeta continued after Marvel and Clove who had already walked ahead. He smiled at Glimmer, proud of his own intimidation and she rolled her eyes. "Are you sure we shouldn't just kill him now?" She mused, her eyes trailing after Peeta. Her voice had become more of a whisper, hushed and smooth. Cato raised an eyebrow, no longer surprised by the girl, simply impressed.

He nodded in Peeta's direction, before cocking his jaw upward, authoritative and certain. "Nah, he's our best chance of finding her." The 'her' in his sentence was becoming a hated mention within the group. Glimmer pursed her lips together and a sly smile tugged the edges of her mouth. The two looked at one another for a moment, knowing the other had the same plans for Peeta's fate. The length of their gazes grew and the pause between their conversations seemed more than time to collaborate plans on their next target. Cato's eyes bore into Glimmer's own, their smiles faltering slightly, the intensity of their stares increasing. Finally, Cato broke the silence. He patted Glimmer lightly in the stomach with the back of his hand.

"Come on, let's go." He gestured ahead, clearing his throat, before following the trail after the other Career tributes. Glimmer laughed nonchalantly and kept close to Cato's side, though she couldn't escape the feeling of things left unsaid.


	4. Chapter 4

"Cato." Clove furrowed her brow, barely visible in the diminished light of the Arena. She hadn't asked a question, but Cato still raised his chin as if to ask "_What do you want_?" He had fallen behind the group, a significant gap emerging between him and the lead of the Career pack. Cato had fallen quietly from his former entourage, from the dominant and over-powering persona he had been concocting since the start of the Games to subdued, unresponsive.

What made the situation even more questionable was that he had allowed Peeta to lead the group of allies blindly into the night without speaking up or mentioning a threat of violence, despite the knowledge that they were on the wrong track. Clove had monitored Cato's descent from barbarous to idle in the fleeting passage away from their most recent kill. He stumbled in the back, watching the dirt pass under his feet, barely clutching his coveted sword. Clove discerned that a pause in his pace, a conversation with Glimmer a short while back in their journey, had altered his behaviour. His mind was on something _other_ than the Games. And that was dangerous. Not just for Cato's sake, because in the end that was irrelevant, but as Clove's district partner there was a certain expectancy from him to represent their home at all times, to protect each other, and above everything else, to win.

"Hm?" The boy grunted, trudging to a stop in front of Clove. Clove squinted at Cato, she was considerably shorter than him so had to crane her neck to look him in the eyes, and Cato noticed her nose twitch, a habit she had acquired while scrutinising.

"Have you got some kind of problem?" Clove hissed, causing Cato to flinch. He, above any other person, knew how vicious she could be, and her tone did not promise an exception for Cato to her cruelty. Cato straightened his back, realising how obvious his distraction had been. As Cato thought of the reasoning behind Clove's confrontation, his mind drifted to what he had been so concerned about in the first place. His eyes flickered forward, resting on the blonde figure ahead. Glimmer.

Clove immediately followed Cato's gaze, piecing together the cause of her district partner's downfall. "_Glimmer_?" She seethed, mortified, though half anticipating what she now knew for sure. Cato may have been an expert in stealth on the field, but in conversation, when opposed like this, he was as obvious as murder in daylight. He also wasn't as agile with his words as he was with a weapon.

"I-uh-"Cato stuttered, running a hand across his face and along the back of his head, desperate to step around the tiny brunette and catch up to the rest of the group. Desperate to escape her hostility, her evident disapproval.

"Are you kidding?" Clove squinted, and her voice came out harsh and uneven, a rushed whisper. She flicked her head around to catch a glimpse of the district one tributes ahead, along with Peeta. Clove bit her lip and whipped back to glower at Cato. "_You have to be kidding_." He couldn't _truly_ have been distracted by another tribute. At least not in _that_ way. Not in a dreamy-eyed, inattentive daze. Not _affectionately_.

Clove was horrified. If there was anything that she had taken away from her education in the District Two Academy it was that opening yourself up to that sort of vulnerability, both in the Arena and the audience's eyes, was the moment _you would die_.

She was suddenly solemn.

"I don't know what you _thought_ was going to happen between the two of you, just because you shared a few laughs or she said you had nice abs, or whatever," Cato swallowed uncomfortably as Clove leaned forward, pressing a finger into his chest. "But you don't _fucking try to date someone_ in the Arena, okay? God. I thought you were an idiot before, but now I know for sure."

"You know what, Clove, why don't you back off?" Cato spat back, finding a voice after his silence. He shoved Clove's shoulder, causing her to stumble backwards, gasping. Clove's mouth snapped shut, and her gawking eyes searched Cato for an explanation to his uncharacteristic behaviour towards her.

Clove would have killed herself before admitting that she had to swallow the threat of tears.

"It's dangerous and you know it is-"

"Did I _say_ anything had happened between Glimmer and I?" There was fire in the stare Cato flashed to Clove. His eyes burned in the night, penetrating her, challenging her to say something now that he had found his strength and lost the vulnerability to the revelation of his secret.

"Cato. This is stupid. I know you're going to try something. _I fucking know_. And what will you do if you're too busy worrying that your new girlfriend might get hurt that someone sticks a knife right into your neck? Hell, we can't trust another Career district, what if Glitter-Sparkle herself slips you a poison-"

"_Shut up_!" Cato roared. His voice was so loud that Clove was sure another tribute would have heard them. But she didn't have time to worry about being found or being attacked. Cato slammed his hand into a tree behind her, grazing the side of Clove's face and pinning the small girl to the tree.

"That's the thing, Clove. You _don't_ know what you're talking about."

Clove was stunned into silence. Cato had never acted violent towards _her_. It was terrifying, and Clove cursed herself for not preparing for when she would eventually have to face this. Despite her stubbornness, and her desperation to show Cato the foolishness behind his actions, her lips closed into a tight, white line- silent. Her gaze dropped to the ground and the quiet between the two became filled with Cato's enraged, ragged breathing.

He caged Clove in, waiting for her to meet his stare. Clove's fear must have been plastered all too clearly across her face because when her eyes met Cato's he seemed to pause in a moment of calm; a heartbeat of regret, for scaring her, for hurting her. Quickly, the emotion was disregarded; Cato grunted angrily and pushed off against the tree, pelting ahead and running towards the bulk of his group.

When he had disappeared into the murkiness of the night, Clove exhaled sharply. She blinked furiously, processing the information she had acquired. Her pulse was audible in her ears, and Clove was unsure if rage or fear or a disturbing mix of the two was causing her to feel so hot and dizzy.

She was so _frustrated_. Cato was ruining everything they had worked for since they had turned eleven. He was tarnishing the hours upon hours of sweat and blood and pain spent in the Academy perfecting survival techniques. All over a_ girl_. Clove was mortified by the idea. She was ashamed. But more than anything she was humiliated to admit, even if just to herself, that she was jealous.


End file.
